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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26694373">Say it back, will you?</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThatIsTrue/pseuds/ThatIsTrue'>ThatIsTrue</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>One Direction (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Fluff, M/M, Marriage Proposal</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 04:48:59</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,205</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26694373</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThatIsTrue/pseuds/ThatIsTrue</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Suddenly, it seemed like there was no better time to do it than now.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>34</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Say it back, will you?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hello all! This is my first work in this fandom(and probably the last). I'm a bit new to this fandom, so please bear with me.<br/>English is not my first language, so feel free to point out in the comments, if there are any mistakes.<br/>All mistakes are mine.<br/>Thanks to my best friend for helping me finish this..... without her I'd have never posted it....thanks love :)</p><p>Remember, this is a work of fiction. This is purely self-indulgent.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"What are you at, Hazza?"</p><p>Harry smiled to himself as he opened the oven. The smell of hot cross buns was wafting throughout the kitchen. They were golden brown and perfect, just the way Louis liked them. "Just making your favourite buns, Lou", he replied quietly. The radio on the kitchen window was playing some new pop song which was lively but.....not quite catchy.</p><p>It was one of those Sundays they had to themselves. No friends, no parties, just the both of them in their flat, all cozied up and cuddling, watching their favourite movies. It had been some weeks since they had a nice day to themselves. Louis hummed in response. He was bundled up in a cozy maroon jumper (which belonged to Harry, <em>of</em> <em>course</em> it did), and sweatpants. He jumped and sat in the kitchen counter, legs dangling and not quite touching the ground, looking petite. Harry was tempted to call him <em>absolutelycuteohmygod</em>, but he wasn’t ready to face a fuming Louis, so he kept it to himself.</p><p>“Now, we have a request from Sarah to play Perfect by Ed Sheeran, and she dedicates it to her beloved girlfriend, who are celebrating their first anniversary tonight! Well, well isn’t that romantic? We wish all the love and happiness to the Sarah and her girlfriend. Go get her, tiger!” the host cackled, and the song started playing.</p><p>Harry turned to his boyfriend, and raised his eyebrow in question. Louis jumped down from the counter and stood in front of him with a smile.</p><p>
  <em>I found a love, for me </em>
</p><p>Harry slid his hand around Louis’ waist and tugged him closer. Louis couldn’t stop his smile, but he ducked his head to hide it. He looped his hands around Harry’s neck and looked up at him. Harry wondered how he got so lucky, lucky enough to be the one to hold Louis this close, lucky enough to make him laugh, lucky enough to call him <em>his</em>.</p><p>
  <em>We were just kids when we fell in love </em>
</p><p>They started swaying to the song. Harry was so happy that he could cry. It was just, he was so content, here in <em>their</em> house, dancing with Louis in his arms in their kitchen, he couldn’t think of anything else better happening in his life. He could see the same fulfilment written on Louis’ face, while he was trying his best not to laugh at the ridiculous situation. “Oh my God,” Louis whined, “are we really gonna do this, H?”</p><p>Harry gave a cheeky grin in return, dimples full-on.</p><p>
  <em>Darling just kiss me slow </em>
</p><p>Louis rose on his toes and leaned closer, aligning their bodies together, pressing close from head to toe. “How did I fall for such a sap?” he mused to himself and Harry couldn’t help but chuckle at it. “Don’t try to convince me that you aren’t enjoying this, Tomlinson,” he teased. Louis feigned horror – that dramatic little shit – and tried to turn away. Harry held on tighter at his waist, and brushed his lips against Louis’. It was barely a kiss, just a brush of lips – it reminded him so much of their first kiss, a hesitant kiss, as if testing the waters – but it was enough to make Louis sag in his arms. He connected their lips properly this time in a soft, quiet kiss, turning his organs into a pile of goo.</p><p>
  <em>And in your eyes, you’re holding mine </em>
</p><p>Louis sighed quietly into the kiss. He was lowering himself back to his feet, and Harry bent down a little to angle the kiss better. It wasn’t hurried, just a slow, languid kiss, soft like the snow falling outside. He couldn’t remember the last time he felt so calm. They slowly started moving around the kitchen without breaking the kiss, swaying together.</p><p>
  <em> Dancing in the dark, with you between my arms </em>
</p><p>Louis broke the kiss and leaned in to touch their foreheads. “Hi,” he whispered. “Hi,” Harry said back softly, opening his eyes. All he could see was <em>blueblueblue</em> and he couldn’t help but sigh in contentment. Louis broke into an amused smile. “What are you thinking about?” he asked, threading his fingers in Harry’s curls. Harry hummed in appreciation, eyes closing, lost in the bliss of his hair being played with. “You,” he said and could hear Louis’ snort.</p><p>“You cheesy fucker,” Louis laughed, and Harry pouted.</p><p>
  <em>Darling, you look perfect tonight </em>
</p><p>“Heeyyy,” he drawled, “you love me,” he pouted deeper. Louis shook his head grinning, “God only knows why,” Louis replied. “You’re mean,” Harry said, trying to frown, but from Louis’ grin getting bigger, he knew he couldn’t manage it.</p><p>“But you still loovvee me,” Louis parroted back, with a shit eating grin on his face. Harry was smiling so wide, that his cheeks were aching. 

</p><p>“Yeah, I love you,” he said quietly, leaning to brush their noses.</p><p>“Harold, did you just give me an Eskimo kiss?” Louis groaned, feigning horror again. Harry leaned in closer, their lips almost touching. “Yes, I did. Now say you love me back,” he said. Louis scrunched up his nose - God, he was so adorable – and asked, “What if I don’t?”</p><p>Harry replied, “No more blowjobs for you,” keeping an angelic smile in his face.</p><p>“You –what?!” Louis spluttered, and Harry couldn’t keep his laughter in. He started pulling away, laughing hard. “Oh my God, your face,” he was choking on laughter now, tears escaping his eyes.</p><p>Louis looked scandalized, “You big oaf, how dare you?!” he screeched and launched himself at Harry.</p><p>
  <em>I found a love, to carry more than just my secrets </em>
</p><p>They both tumbled to the kitchen floor, Louis landing on Harry. He was pinching Harry now, wherever he could reach, and saying, “Take it back, now, or I’m not talking to you,” he almost shouted, faking anger. “Say you love me,” Harry replied cheekily, waiting for Louis to give up. He held him tighter by the waist, making sure he can’t escape. The sun had almost set now. It was a quiet evening, just the radio and them. Somewhere outside in the living room, their kitten, Olivia, was mewling, trying to get their attention. But here, they were lost in a world of their own.</p><p>Louis huffed and stood up, untangling their limbs, before Harry could catch up. “You’re such a menace,” he said narrowing his eyes. “I’m going back to Olivia. At least, she doesn’t bully me like you,” he said, and stomped off the kitchen, heading to the living room, before Harry could stop him.</p><p>Harry was smiling giddily at the ceiling now, from where he was lying at the floor. An idea occurred to him, and he started rummaging the kitchen drawers, trying to make the least noise, searching for the small box he had kept hidden at the back. He had bought the ring on an impulse, a week ago, a simple silver band engraved with the quote, “The Last Dream of My Soul”.</p><p>Suddenly, it seemed like there was no better time to do it than now.</p><p>
  <em>To carry love, to carry children of our own</em>
</p><p>"Don’t go back to that monster, Olive,” he could hear Louis cooing at their kitten from the living room, “full of shit, that man is,” he was saying. Harry stood up quietly, trying to make not much noise, stuffing the box in is front pocket. He knew he had thought of planning for some big romantic gesture, but this moment felt important.</p><p>He knew in his heart, that this was <em>it</em>.</p><p>Trying to calm his pounding heart, he stepped out of the kitchen, following the sounds of his boy, still cooing at the cat, still hurling insults at him.</p><p>
  <em>We’re so in love, fightin’ against all odds </em>
</p><p>“Like being scratched huh? Love it don’t you? Aww look at you,” Louis was blabbering lovingly at the kitten, who was now lying on his stomach, purring. The scene was so domestic, Harry couldn’t look at it, for he was on the verge of tears. <em>God</em>, he was so so lucky and he wanted to spend the rest of his life like this, with his boy at his side, with their children, their cats (yes, he was planning on having more than one child, and yes, he was going to adopt another kitten soon), and now all of a sudden he couldn’t wait.</p><p>“He says he loves me, but threatens not to give blowjobs. Why am I even here? Being treated like a slave, only kept for sexual favours, not being treated like the gentleman I am, you’re my only reprieve from all this torture Olive,” <em>Jesus Christ, such drama</em>, Harry thought to himself, hearing Louis’ rambling. That little shit knew Harry could hear all this, so he was notching it up a bit.</p><p>How did this become his life?</p><p>
  <em>Darling just hold my hand </em>
</p><p>Harry stood in front of the couch, looking at the scene in front of him. Louis cuddling with Olivia, holding the black kitten to his tummy, scratching her head, and cooing nonsense at her. He had to wipe his hands on his jeans, which were sweating now, and he was nervous, <em>God knows he was</em>, and started speaking.</p><p>“Hey Lou,” he called out slowly. Louis was refusing to look at him, still concentrating on the black mass that was writhing in his small hands.</p><p>“Tell him to go away, Liv. I will not endure such treatment,” he was huffing. Harry couldn’t help but smile a little, despite the state of panic he was going into. He knew Louis would say yes, of course he would, but what if it was too soon? Sure, they’d been boyfriends for 3 years now, sure they’ve been living together for a year, but he couldn’t stop the ‘what ifs’ popping up in his mind.</p><p>
  <em>I see my future in your eyes </em>
</p><p>“Lou, look at me for a minute?” Something must’ve shown in his voice. Louis was setting Olivia slowly on the couch, and turning to look at him sceptically. He raised an eyebrow, as if to ask <em>what are you on about</em>.</p><p>“I wanted to, um, ask you something,” he replied to the unasked question. Louis scoffed. “If you want a blowjob, you should do a better job than this, H,” he replied.</p><p>Harry chuckled, and said, “No, not that,” and he continued seeing Louis’ scandalized face, “Jesus, of course I want that idiot, not now though. I wanted to ask something else,” he said, thanking the Gods for not stammering.</p><p>“Spit it out soon, <em> darling</em>, haven’t got all the time in the world,” Louis replied cuttingly, turning his face away from Harry. <em>This is it</em>, Harry thought to himself, and slowly settled on one knee in front of his boy.</p><p>Harry cleared his throat. “I know this is not the time, but something about this moment feels special to me. The first moment I saw you in that Laundry room, I knew there was something special about you. And the way I made a fool out of myself there, God, I thought I had fucked up forever. But then, you started laughing at me and I knew, you were something different. You were everything I could ask for. Funny, witty, brave, charming, and you had a heart of gold and loved everyone fiercely. The first time when we kissed, I was a total goner. It is a cliché, I know, but we fit Louis, like puzzle pieces. I don’t know how else to explain this.”</p><p>He took a long, shuddering breath. You can do this, he thought to himself. Louis, who had turned his head to the side before was fully facing him, mouth slightly ajar. His eyes were misty, and before he could interrupt, Harry continued.</p><p>“The last 4 years have been the best years of my life, because you were there in my life. You literally lightened up my life babe, and I don’t know what would have happened, if I hadn’t gathered all the courage I had and asked you out. You don’t know how nervous I was. I almost had a panic attack that day, and Niall was the one who calmed me down. I felt on the top of the world, and I couldn’t even put into words how happy I was, when you asked me to your boyfriend. I’m lucky Lou, I’m the luckiest person on the Earth, because I get to call you mine. I want this forever, Lou, I want to be able to call you mine forever. And I want to be yours, always.”</p><p>He knew he was crying, but there was no way he was stopping this now. Harry took the box out of his pocket, and opened it. Louis was crying too, but he gave a smile that could’ve brightened up the whole fucking world.</p><p>“I want to grow old with you, Louis. I will warn you beforehand, I want at least 3 children. I want to raise them with you, I want to make a home with you. You are the best thing the Universe has given me, and I’m planning on never letting you go. Will you marry me, Louis William Tomlinson?”</p><p>Both of them were full-on sobbing by now. Louis didn’t remove his gaze from the box. The full-on smile from before had changed into a small, private grin, which only Harry got to see. Harry was trying his best to not squirm, because damn, his boy knew how to keep him waiting. <em>Later</em>, he thought, <em>he’ll pay for this later tonight</em>.</p><p>“Are you sure you can handle me even when I’m old and rusty? Do you promise to be by my side and help me even when I start losing my memory and keep yelling at you? Because H, I know we’re still young, but I know you are the one for me. Are you sure about this baby? ‘Cuz I’ve never been surer about anything in my life than you.” Louis asked him with a serious expression on his face.</p><p>“I’ve never been surer about anything else than you too. Please answer, I’m dying here. Will you marry me?” Harry asked with a slightly irritated expression, and Louis grinned, cat-like.</p><p>“Of course, I’ll marry you, you idiot. There is not a single universe in which I’ll say no to you. So, Harry Edward Styles, yes, I’ll marry you, and I’m planning on keeping you with me forever,” Louis finished with a chuckle and launched himself on Harry. They both tumbled down together giggling and the box fell out of Harry’s palm.</p><p>“Jesus, can’t you just sit quietly till I give you the ring? Bugger off, I gotta make this official now,” Harry said frowning. Louis started cackling, throwing his head back, and Harry pressed his lips together in an attempt to not smile, because he couldn’t stay angry at him. He switched them over and pinned Louis down and stared at him till he stopped laughing.</p><p>He had to change the tactics. “Are you going to stay still ‘til I give you the ring, or should I make you?” Harry asked, an octave lower than his normal tone. Louis took in a sharp breath, and looked at him with wide eyes. Harry mentally fist pumped when he felt Louis going slack beneath him.</p><p>He stretched his hands slowly, and found the ring. It was a beautiful one, and the quote inside was the thing that made him finalise it. It was true, Louis was the first and the last and every single dream of his soul.</p><p>He lifted his other hand from where he had pinned Louis’ wrists and slowly took one of his hands in his palm. Louis’ eyes were tracing his actions, and Harry couldn’t help but feel smug about it. Harry slipped the ring on Louis’ ring finger, and was glad to find that it fit perfectly. Louis took his palm from Harry’s hand and started examining the ring. When his eyes found the engraving, he smirked and asked, “The last dream of my soul? Really, H? Could you be any more of a sap than this? Now, I’m having doubts on saying yes to you. How am I….”</p><p>He was cut off by Harry crashing his mouth to Louis’. Louis gasped slightly and started fidgeting, to gain the right angle for the kiss. Harry took both of his wrists in one hand and pinned them above Louis’ head, knowing how much Louis liked it. “Can’t be satisfied with one single thing, can you?” Harry panted, separating their mouths. Louis’ eyes were blown wide, a darker shade of his usual blue and he was looking at Harry’s lips. <em>Well, this is going way better than I expected</em>, Harry thought.</p><p>“Just shut up and kiss me, you fool,” Louis said and grinned at him. Harry gave him back a grin of his own and reconnected their lips in a softer kiss. It was a kiss of promises, happiness, and love. Harry was delirious with happiness. <em>Louis said yes</em>. He wanted to shout it from the rooftops and whisper it in the dark. He wanted to tell the world but at the same time he wanted it to be their secret, yet another thing connecting them.</p><p>“I love you,” Harry said, nuzzling Louis’ cheeks. The day couldn’t have gone better. Louis hummed and kept silent. Harry lifted his head and glared at him. Louis gave him an angelic smile. “The last time when I didn’t say it back, I got a marriage proposal out of it. Just wondering what else I’ll get now….” he said waggling his eyebrows.</p><p>Harry shook his head in exasperation. “You are fucking insufferable,” he replied.</p><p>“Now now, no need to go calling names at me. Will you blow me if I say I love you back?” Louis asked nonchalantly, as if they were discussing what to have for dinner. Harry narrowed his gaze. “If you say you love me back,” Harry drawled, “I’ll eat you out for an hour,” he finished with a smirk. Louis’ eyes were fully glazed now, as if he couldn’t concentrate on anything else. “Deal,” he replied, licking his lips, eyes never leaving Harry’s mouth.</p><p>“So?" Harry nudged him with his elbow. Louis huffed, “Christ, you are annoying. Of course, I love you too, wanker. Now can we hurry up and get to your part of the deal?”</p><p>Harry grinned and stood up, lending a hand for Louis to get up. When they both were steady on their feet, he pulled Louis into a hug. “I love you so much,” he whispered into Louis’ ear and felt him shiver. “Can’t wait to be married to you,” he said and pulled back, resting his chin on top of Louis’ head.</p><p>Olivia was purring, scratching her head against his ankle. Louis bent down and picked her up, cuddling her to his chest.</p><p>“I love you too,” Louis sighed against his chest. He lifted his head, grinning.“Can’t wait to start a family with you“.</p><p>This Sunday had gone way better than Harry could have ever expected.</p><p>
  <em>Now I know I have met an angel in person, she looks perfect </em>
</p><p>
  <em>I don’t deserve this, you look perfect tonight</em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>The quote, "the last dream of my soul" is originally from Charles Dickens' <em>The Tale of Two Cities</em>. But I was inspired by Cassandra Clare, who uses this quote in her series, The Infernal Devices.</p><p>Thank you for reading!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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